Albion College's Center for Sustainability and Environment's (CSE) 2009 field trip was to the Salton Sea in the Southern California Desert and surrounding desert regions.Â We travelled to the region via Amtrak, and camped in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, the Kofa Mountains, Joshua Tree National Park, and the San Bernardino National Forest.

Our major themes were water issues related to the Salton Sea and renewable energy.Â We met a variety of professionals while visiting the Salton Sea, several farms, power plants - and water works including dams, canals and a desalinization plant.Â Border issues were always in the picture, especially regarding water.